Where Thrasher Road thankfully finds its own story and originality is at the midway point, where instead of finding Chloe alone in the middle of nowhere, the tables are turned, and now Mac is alone in the middle of nowhere needing to find himself.
True, Thrasher Road is not the most original story with a not-so-surprising ending, but the joy of Green’s film is how it gets its message across without hitting you over the head with a mallet. Her story hits on the themes of redemption and forgiveness. It’s the idea that our past is the past and how it does no good to hold on to the mistakes of the past. People change, and it’s time to move on.
“…it gets its message across without hitting you over the head with a mallet.”
As the leads, Allison Brown and Christian Kohn work wonderfully together. They both start off with their defenses up and tear them down by the end. Their dramatic declarations don’t ever feel “dramatic” and helps keep the dialogue from getting overly schmaltzy.
I also love how this indie film is stitched together. There are a lot of juicy, low-budget tricks to glean from. First is the most obvious. Putting your story on the road, especially in the desert, saves on building sets and paying for expensive locations. Also, check out how Green shot the truck accident. If you can’t afford to crash a few cars, here’s a great way to do it on a budget.
In the end, Thrasher Road is a fantastic story of family and forgiveness. The downside is that’s missing a moment or two of profound insight into its themes to propel the film into “great” status. That said, writer/director Samantha Davidson Green keeps her story grounded and relatable, where others before her, had gone the way of sappy melodrama, making Thrasher Road worth watching.
"…a fantastic story of family and forgiveness."
Dave and I have an agreement when it comes to movies. If I pick it, he is free to leave after twenty minutes if he doesn’t like it, and vice versa. For this movie, neither one of us budged; both of us sat there entranced, not wanting it to end.
The movie is touching without being maudlin. It conveys a message that anyone who’s experienced loss—and redemption—can relate to. You’ll find the themes linger long after the closing credits.
Dave and I agree this is one of the best, if not THE best film, we’ve seen this year. Do yourself a favor and see this remarkable movie.
Wonderful, real, and uplifing “Thrasher Road” leads you to the acknowledge that things are not always as we percieve, it is never too late, and forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. Christian Kohn’s performance as Mac tied it all together. Thank you Samantha Davidson Green–We want more!